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How to Change the Perception of Christianity in the Culture

Our team at Cooke Pictures recently spent a few days in San Jose working with Grace Hill Media shooting a promo for NFL great Kurt Warner’s new show “The Moment” for the USA Network. It’s a program that gives people a second chance at achieving their dream. Whatever it was that derailed their plans, Kurt and his team will help them get a second chance at making it happen. We shot the segments at Cathedral of Faith Church in San Jose because it’s a church that’s become synonymous with giving people second chances. Their food pantry is one of the best in the Bay Area, and provides food for thousands every week. Their charter school is graduating inner city kids who end up in Ivey League colleges and universities, and they have a home makeover program to help those in financial need fix up their houses for free. They even have a remarkable “dental outreach” that does free dentistry (and serious procedures) for those who can’t afford a visit.

As our crew was shooting the USA Network segments with host Kurt Warner and Ken Foreman, pastor of Cathedral of Faith, the thought occurred to me that if every church in America did these types of ministry outreaches – at whatever level they could afford – it would change the culture’s perception of Christianity.

Politics, the prosperity gospel, movie boycotts, wacky Christian media efforts, and more have only marginalized the Christian community in the eyes of the people we’re supposed to be reaching. But if we would put our money (and time) where our mouth is and impact the local communities around us, people would notice.

Christians certainly benefit personally from faith in Christ, but that’s not our only goal. We should always be ready to share that faith in tangible ways with others so they benefit.

Cathedral of Faith is a great example of a church doing that job. Watch the video we produced and let me know what you think.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

Rob

Great video. Inspiring!

Jeffrey R Farmer

Well done. The food bank segment was good, but I especially appreciated that you included the church’s education program. You know the old saying, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach a man….”.

I hope this show connects with viewers, but as you’ve mentioned in a previous post, there’s a lot of clutter to cut thru these days. – Blessings.

Dan Woodworth

Phil and Your Team,

Jesus in the Gospels and the Early Church in the book of Acts Stunningly Solved Pressing Problems! If Jesus is the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever (and He Is) then What He Did 2000 Years ago He is Doing Today!

God Bless You as You and Your Team Allow Him To
Work For You, In You and Through You To Be “HIS HEALING HANDS EXTENDED TO OUR WOUNDED WORLD!”

Ron Sellers

Unfortunately, there’s a two-fold problem. One is too many prosperity gospelers, wacky media efforts, and Westboro Baptist Churches out there, as you note. The other is that what gets media attention is the one tiny, insignificant, but loud Westboro Baptist Church, rather than the thousands and thousands of legitimate churches that ARE doing these outreach efforts. One attention-seeker at a tiny church in Florida decides to burn a Koran, and it gets worldwide attention. How much larger is Cathedral of Faith, how much more worthy of attention is their work – and how much attention have they gotten compared to one twit who decides to burn a Koran?

http://philcooke.com Phil Cooke

Great point Ron. That’s part of the two-edged sword that is the media. I can’t control that, so I focus on what I can control, which is generating more positive stories about the churches who are making a difference.

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About Phil

An internationally known writer and speaker, Phil Cooke has actually produced media programming in nearly 50 countries around the world. In the process, has been shot at, survived two military coups, fallen out of a helicopter, and in Africa, been threatened with prison. And during that time – through his company Cooke Pictures in Burbank, California – he’s helped some of the largest nonprofit organizations and leaders in the world use the media to tell their story in a changing, disrupted culture.

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About the author

An internationally known writer and speaker, Phil Cooke has actually produced media programming in nearly 50 countries around the world. In the process, has been shot at, survived two military coups, fallen out of a helicopter, and in Africa, been threatened with prison. And during that time – through his company Cooke Pictures in Burbank, California – he’s helped some of the largest nonprofit organizations and leaders in the world use the media to tell their story in a changing, disrupted culture.